Yesterday one one of those days that started iffy and turned into amazing. All day small numbers of Northern Harriers passed by. Once they started, Sharp-shinned Hawks came through at a rate of 100-200+ per hour. Nice views of Broad-winged Hawks are always nice. However… Large swirling kettles are better. There are over 100 Broad-wingedContinue reading “Amazing day with raptors”
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Eagles at Whitefish Point
Yesterday was a funny day. Scattered birds throughout the day than a burst of activity in the mid afternoon. The flight, as it was consisted of a variety of raptors, but was dominated by eagles. That was nice since eagles, both bald and golden are some of my favorite birds. An adult Bald Eagle. WeContinue reading “Eagles at Whitefish Point”
And now a cold front
I got up this morning and the temperature was 24F, by 7 AM it had dropped to 20F. Where will it end up? And on top of the temperature swing it snowed. View from the back door showing the dusting of snow. There’s not much, yet it’s still depressing. I’m done with snow for theContinue reading “And now a cold front”
Migration got going yesterday
With constant mild to moderate south-east winds yesterday raptor migration really kicked into high gear. I ad close to 1500 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and several hundred other raptors. Additionally Sandhill Cranes really started migration with over 1000 passing overhead. Things were so busy that I never took a photo. So, all of the photos today wereContinue reading “Migration got going yesterday”
It’s time for lichens
It’s a beautiful morning here at Whitefish Point. The first clear morning since we’ve up here this month. Clear at this time of year means cold. As I am sitting here and writing it’s 28F and fortunately with very very little wind. Yesterday on our walk to the point it was obvious that lichens wereContinue reading “It’s time for lichens”
Inching towards Spring
The progress is slow, but speeds up with warmth and rain, day by day there is less snow and more to see. The same view of the restoration area, each photo is 24 hours after the previous. So, Monday on the left, Tuesday in the center and Wednesday on the right. As I said we’reContinue reading “Inching towards Spring”
Winter into Spring at Whitefish Point
The snow is slowly melting at Whitefish Point. There is some promise in the air, you can smell it. As the snow recedes the first bearberry and trailing arbutus become visible. As ground is exposed the false dune heather and lichens become visible. The dune restoration site that Susan has worked on for three years.Continue reading “Winter into Spring at Whitefish Point”
A Milestone Post
This is blog post number 1100 for me. I started this blog in 2021 not quite sure where it would go. Over the years I’ve varied the number of posts that I wrote. 2022 was a big year coming off the second year of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic (COVID). WHo knows what this year will bringContinue reading “A Milestone Post”
Looking for signs of spring
Now that we’re back in Ann Arbor we are looking for signs of spring. Here that would be plants and insects as birds are still lagging compared to what we saw in the south. A couple of days ago we decided to go to Dexter Huron Metropark where spring ephemerals (plants) typically appear quite earlyContinue reading “Looking for signs of spring”
Splinter Hill Bog, Alabama
This is the third time that we have visited the Splinter Hill Bog in Alabama. It is noted for its great variety of carnivorous plants – 12 species. Yesterday we had perhaps the best day for seeing a nice variety. We had 4 species of pitcher plants, a sundew and a bladderwort. Not bad forContinue reading “Splinter Hill Bog, Alabama”
Michael's Place 